There are a few for whom this will not be their cup of tea. But for me this is one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. It is thought provoking and rich on several levels. Its main achievement is to get the viewer to sympathize with then later become cold towards certain characters. The subjectivity of perception is examined. I was reminded how quick we are to judge. The narrator and most quotable is Libby. As Libby says later, people are not necessarily good or bad but are complicated with elements of both., as we learn by walking in their shoes. Clair Danes and Lizzy Caplan both give incredible performances. I see awards being given. Strongly recommend.
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moonmark-5281730 December 2022
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qteets21 December 2022I've seen a lot of the bad reviews and not to sound too moldy but I get the feeling it's the younger folks. Us olds in our 30s and 40s get the neverending question of what if? Which is why I think you need to be a little seasoned to truly enjoy this series. You needed to have lived life and gone through things to take in all this show is giving. Missing your youth, your freedom and possibilities. Being the age where you are too young to stop dreaming but too old to begin again. Wondering if you've chosen the right path, right career, right spouse, or if you were meant to be a parent. You're missing old friends, old neighborhoods, and old apartments. The writing in this show is nothing short of amazing and completely captures the thoughts spiraling in every mind of a millennial/gen x adult.
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UniqueParticle14 December 2022Very well made in pretty much in every aspect maybe a little to fast paced and quite raunchy otherwise it's phenomenal! I love Jesse Eisenberg and Lizzy Caplin, I have enjoyed them for years. I absolutely love anything medical related especially House M. D and The Good Doctor. I'm baffled the series got hate it's well written, flows well, incredible acting and highly entertaining. My mom loves the series too she's 61 she recommend if she can enjoy this most should. Flemishman is in Trouble hits the spot to me to enjoy more than most although it reminds me how lonely I am I guess that's part of autism.
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abcprivateemail24 December 2022I have written fiction, and I've watched a lot of entertainment, and I'm in awe of the writing for this show. It isn't often that I acknowledge writing that I think is better than I could do, but this show does it. They will string together dozens of cleverly crafted sentences that are packed with information and hidden emotional bombs, yet done both efficiently and with a natural flow. My own writing tends to be wordy... They manage to pack what would take me 200 words to express into a 6 word offhand joke, such as the disdain a character has for his wife's trust-fund douchey friends. They consistently nail complex and diverse characters, including an especially hilarious take on a tween girl's attitude.
Kaplan's narration is especially fun to listen to, both in terms of writing and delivery.
Dane's performance is epic. She continues the streak of every performance I've witnessed her give in her adult life (I hated My So Called Life) be one of the best I've ever witnessed.
The rest of the cast performs flawlessly too.
The music, especially the parts that sound like a music box that starts normally, then decays, fits perfectly with the mood. -
mrfrane11 January 2023There are legitimate complaints in the reviews about how much the story revolves around Fleishman, the man in the divorce. But it's a story that unfolds over time. There are multiple characters at the core of the story and they each have arcs to play out. I, for one, was fascinated to see how my perspective changed as each episode played out and the point of view shifted, and there were revelations. Oh, boy, were there revelations.
Put it this way, whoever produced this program did not spend all that money on Claire Danes to have her be defined by everyone else. And keep an eye on Meara Mahoney Gross, who plays the Fleishmans' young daughter. -
LukeCustomer226 December 2022I started this series thinking i would be just about Jesse Eisenberg's character and his divorce. I didn't think there would be much to relate to there, but then the show expands to highlighting the drama and pain we are all struggling with at midlife with several new characters and even, as they say, circling back to a few more. The entire story is a direct hit for things that aren't talked about in modern society. All done with a great narration reminiscent of the fast talking of the West Wing. The only quibble I had was Claire Danes didn't work for me in this story... she didn't have any easy way about her. But the rest of the cast is excellent.
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bmccarthy-4113519 November 2022Only two episodes in and I am in love with this story. Now I want to read the novel but only wish I had read it first. Some here complain about the use of narration. I love the 3rd person - God-like omniscient POV and find myself drawn to this POV in film and novels more often than not. Some of the best novels and film use 3rd person omniscient- and because of this Godly presence the viewer/ reader builds up a trust almost immediately- though, of course that may not be deserved and a plot trick. Watch out for false gods!
Fleishman, played by Jesse Eisenberg is a man who is lost at sea- his carefully planned life is upside down- note the great use of the upside down city scape as metaphor.
What I found most interesting is the the main character is a hepatologist! WHAT! A liver doctor! How odd- NOT! The ancients - Romans, Babylonians, and Greeks saw the liver as the ruler of the human body- the seat of life- the soul because it was rich with blood. Toby Fleishman, already in episode #1 waxes poetically about this once glorified organ.
The sex here is not a big deal here, and is shown in flashes not long scenes that underline Toby's yearning for connection to right his upside down world. He just needs to find his new path.
The cast is pitch-perfect, and as a New Yorker I can really appreciate the actors. I am rooting for Toby already- that's good writing! -
paul-allaer18 November 2022As "Fleishman Is In Trouble" (2022 release; 8 episodes of about 50 min each) opens, we are introduced to Toby Fleishman, newly divorced after 15 years of marriage. His ex Rachel apparently dropped of their 2 kids (ages 9 and 12) in the middle of the night, and a full day ahead of the agreed schedule. That's a problem for Toby, as he has a date that evening. Along the way Toby reconnects with longtime friends Seth and Libby whom he had neglected during his marriage. At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1.
Couple of comments; this is the small screen adaptation of the book of the same name by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. She is indeed also the creator and writer of this TV mini-series. Going by the initial 2 episodes that I've seen so far, it focuses primarily on the divorced dad (played by Jesse Eisenberg), rather than the divorced mom (played by Claire Danes). I couldn't help but think back to some of the classic Woody Allen films like Annie Hall and Manhattan, with Eisenberg playing a 21st century version of Woody Allen. Some of these bit are quite funny, such as when Toby is introduced to dating apps. Other bits expose the challenges between a single dad and his not quite yet 13 yo daughter who has a lot on her mind. A lot of territory is covered in these 2 initial episodes, except that is the mom. Indeed the screen time for Claire Danes is minimal throughout these 2 episodes. Maybe she will get her time in the limelight down the road. Bottom line: I have enjoyed these first 2 episodes quite a bit, and I'm looking forward to seeing the remaining episodes.
"Fleishman Is In Trouble" premiered last night on Hulu with the initial 2 episodes. New episodes are being rolled out on a weekly basis on Thursdays. If you are in the mood for a well-written, well-acted TV mini-series that looks at a post-marriage life in the 21st century, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
*UPDATE 11/24/22* I've just now seen Episode 3. It reveals the back story of how Toby and Rachel met, fell in love, and then how it all fell apart. In other words: it finally features Claire Danes in all of the scenes. Loved this episode and I can't wait to see the remainder episodes. -
bjarias28 November 2022... there's a review by Sophie Brookover in Vulture of episode three that dutifully-perfectly summarizes the series to date... what's going to happen from-after this 3rd episode will take the script and lives of its characters in a definitely different direction
... they would both be very difficult people to form partnerships together, so relentless and specific what they're wanting for their lives and those around them... the acting is magnificent by all the characters in this show, and they are most hard to like... knowing where this is all heading takes absolutely nothing away from interest of all the details of them getting there... not liking them not lessening the pains watching the journey. -
RightOnDaddio2 January 2023For several episodes, I kept saying, call the police! Something is obviously not right here. Her departure was erratic and untimely and now she's a day past child pickup. Two days past. Three days past. A week.
Nothing. Not a phone call. A text. No responses. She's not answering. Nothing to show that she's even alive. There are kids involved here. And still nothing.
Call the police.
Want a show that will drive you crazy with unrealistic human behavior and situations?
This is it.
The writing is mediocre at best. The casting is mismatched.
Claire Danes and Jesse Eisenberg?
No.
They don't look right together.
But with good writing and chemistry between the actors, they might be believable as husband and wife, former lovers on the downward spiral.
Individually, in past performances, they are fantastic at their craft.
Here, especially together, they are not strongest in their parts There is a scene where Eisenberg visits the family summer home in an attempt to locate his missing ex-spouse and the police are called to the residence by a friend or neighbor appointed by his ex to watch the house while it is at times vacant.
Eisenberg asks no questions of this neighbor or friend. At all.
Have you seen my ex wife? Have you heard from my ex wife?
Nothing. Not a peep.
What??
When the police do show in the Hamptons to question Eisenberg's character, again he asks or says nothing of them.
Hey, btw, my ex-wife is missing. I haven't seen her in several days, she was supposed to get the kids in days gone by. Just fyi.
Nothing. Heck, if she turns up as a corpse at this point in Central Park, he'd for sure be a person of interest and with his odd, off putting, irregular behavior he'd be a prime suspect to boot.
This is overall a story about Jewish Gen X Manhattanite forty-somethings having a modern day 21st Century mid-life crisis in 2016.
Kids. Career. Family life. The city vs. The suburbs. Parenting vs. Partying. Fraternizing vs. Fulfillment.
Also unrealistic, is Eisenberg's tremendous success on the dating apps. I just don't buy that, either.
It's also funny how his ex-wife's circle constantly treats the fact that Eisenberg is a physician and surgeon as some sort of charity work or good deed. Like, the man isn't doing well financially in their minds. This is an ongoing theme in their silly social circles.
Christian Slater makes a brief appearance as some big fictitious writer, but he is still greatly appreciated and awesome as always Just as fictitious is the cleanliness of NYC in every scene. Not one piece of trash anywhere. The place is just spotless.
The brightest light in all of this is Lizzy Caplan as Libby and Mozhan Marino' as Nahid. They are both remarkable.
Danes is still fabulous given her material. The material itself is not that great at all.
There is a scene of a horrid medical malpractice that should have also warranted criminal charges were this reality. The show just lets it go.
That whole scenario hard to watch.
The whole show is hard to watch episode to episode.
If it's not the unbelievable storylines, it's the ridiculous relationships.
Fleishman is in trouble because his show is boring, and whiny and with very few highlights but loads and loads of lowlights.
If that's the trouble you seek, you shall find it in abundance here. -
ilvlftuup17 January 2023This is an amazing series. It is well-acted, well-cast, well-written, and well-directed. There's a lot to this series that should actually warrant a trigger warning for those who have been through family trauma, divorce, severe mental health issues, misogyny, sexual harassment, work trauma, people treating each other like garbage, death etc. It's difficult to list everything that happens in this series without giving spoilers, but it is anxiety-inducing, and traumatic, because the entire series is basically watching trauma in action and the history of that trauma. That being said, again, it is excellent, in it's craft - but for me, it will be a one time watch.
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Headturner1118 November 2022I saw something "new" pop up and clicked to read the synopsis. I thought ( it's not my thing, I won't like it) but I hit play anyways. I'm not a fan of Jesse Eisenberg ( he seems to act like a whiny baby in everything) but I quite like this! I like his interactions with his kids( they are a mix of my daughter). The girl who plays the daughter is fantastic as well as the son. I watched the 2 episodes that aired and when finished wished there were more. Claire Danes seems decent as well and she is hit or miss with me. All and all I think this is going to be a decent new series to watch. Give it a try. I didn't think a show about a single dad who just gets divorced would be my thing but I guess it was.... I'm updating now I've watched 2 more episodes... Why oh why did they have to revert to flashbacks as entire episodes of their whole life story!?! I was really enjoying it and now they take that away from us with the" story" of them and how they met etc! It's not really needed nor do I care since ITS narrated( and horribly I might add)! As the first 2 episodes show us all we really need to know of what they were! We care about the now and what's going on( well at least I do)! I'll continue and hope they revert back to present day which is what I'm interested in!
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EPMD577 June 2023That's my feedback for all these characters.
This show would have been much better if they had used middle class characters, not upper-middle pretentious jerks who seek to extract more from the world than they give back in return. The biggest problem is that the characters are mostly not relatable, and that makes it very difficult to like any of them.
The narration was also annoying. A little bit of narration goes a long way. A lot of narration gets old in a hurry -- and that happens early in the first episode.
The subject matter could be really interesting with better characters who weren't so privileged. I mean, who really wants to cheer for the guy who gets unlimited matches on a dating app? Everyone hates that guy. -
jewellz4831 December 2022I started watching this because I love Claire Danes. After a couple episodes, I was ready to give it up: the episodes were meandering and mediocre, at best, and Danes was barely even in it. Then, I saw someone mention episode 7 and how amazing Danes' performance was. I decided to persevere.
The first six episodes were quite a slog of upper middle class navel gazing. I kept wondering what purpose the story really served. Did we really need to know about these people and their boring, privileged lives? I think that it was well acted, but the focus on Toby seemed a poor choice: he was the least interesting character in the series, to me. Episode 6 picked up a little, so I was hopeful about episodes 7 & 8.
Episode 7 was one of, if not the, best hours of television I've watched this year. Claire Danes was riveting. I related so much to her character. Just phenomenal. Episode 8, which focused on Libby was also very, very good. Both episodes together were a profoundly moving look at middle age for us younger Gen Xers.
I really wish the first 6 episodes had been condensed into 3. I also think Claire Danes and Adam Brody were criminally underutilized. If you can slog through the start, the payoff of episodes 7 & 8 is worth it. -
robertbaylormatlock4 December 2022Great performances by Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzie Caplan, Claire Danes and the child actors. Let's confront the modern reality: in a story where nobody gets shot (at least through Episode 4) the cognosenti infantili will have fit of pique. There's no action! The pacing is slow! The characters are flat! Adult stories, infantili, often unspool at a languid pace. Run along and play, this one's not for you.
So many complaints about the narration by Libby (Lizzie Caplan), because, well, it's out of the ordinary! So drown it in the bathtub! Or, maybe, notice that there's a chemistry between between Toby and Libby. They have a thing, though they don't know it yet -- well Toby doesn't -- which makes Libby's perspective all the more interesting.
OK, one complaint. I didn't buy Toby's tears in Episode 4. It's not Eisenberg's fault -- tears are inconsistent with Toby's character. -
GregMatt11 March 2023Definitely a slow burn, hence the low scores from those (I'm guessing younger people) who didn't make it past the first few episodes. But this limited series actually turned out not only to be relatable (yes I'm in my 40s) but also profoundly insightful.
Great writing, even the flashbacks were used to good effect to keep moving the story forward. And superb acting from a well cast ensemble - Clare Danes performance in episode 7 is breathtaking.
And yes, they're all white. And yes, they're mostly financially privileged. But whether you live in the city, or the suburbs, or out in the sticks, the experiences of all the main characters are extraordinarily familiar.
Don't be put off by the slow pace at the start, the ending is precisely what it needed to be. -
taradiamond744 December 2022I love Toby, Seth, and Libby together. They're supposed to be what I feel like is around my age- at least from the flashback to college/post college in the 90's. It all feels very familiar and nostalgic.
But it also is an ode to how things sometimes go when you marry the person you met in your early-mid 20's. How you think you can love enough for two people. Or how you just brush important red flags under the rug in those relationships figuring it will just all work out.
I love the way Lizzy seems wistful at the fun, cool, lives that Toby and Seth are "getting" to live. Where she's just the suburban mom, bored, sweaty, and watching Disney movies instead of going out late to the underground club. When meanwhile, Toby is wistful at the simplicity of the families at the town pool, just having family day out.
It's all just really relatable. I've been all three of them- Toby, Lizzy, Seth, at different times in my life. The same way I felt Sex and the City was relatable in my 20's. I felt Toby's pain when he went to Lizzy's house and the pool, then just HAD to get out of there, to the underground place with Seth and feeling like he had to get out of there too. Like he couldn't be anywhere.
There are a few things I don't like which aren't major but knocked a star for me. I don't like how the Jewish women, except for Lizzy, are portrayed. They're all very overly stereotypical. It makes me cringe. The other major thing is that Clare Danes is woefully miscast. There's no way she's believable as any small part Jewish. The character claims to be half but it's just not there. She and Toby have no chemistry at all. There are so many actors I think would've been better to play Rachel- Dianna Agron, Alison Brie, Shiri Appleby. I know the character is supposed to be unlikable, but you can't picture them ever getting together in the first place. There was no real evolution. She seemed cold from the start. -
ThurstonHunger7 January 2023In the end, I'm very ambivalent about this miniseries.
There is eye-catching, ear-piercing, acting from Claire Danes, who has come along way from her teenage tv debut. More so,I'm definitely a fan of Lizzy Caplan (if you are, hopefully you've seen her work in "Masters and Johnson" and elsewhere). They garb her in suburban frumpiness, but still she shines through.
I don't mind narrators, I know that is a catch for some people from "Apocalypse Now" to just plain ol' now. It helps that Caplan's character is the narrator, and that becomes very important by episode 7. I'm trying desperately hard to not spoil things here. It was interesting to come here and see some of the foreign versions went with a variation of "The New Life of Toby."
We spend a lot of time with Jesse Eisenberg as Toby. More time than even his cinematic kids spend with him. And they send a lot of time with him. As his character struggles in the film, and struggles with getting away from himself. It feels like Eisenberg does the same as an actor.
Thus Caplan feels to me like the emotional center of this film, even if she is thrust aside by both plot and the twirling Toby. Fleishman's world is turned upside down. Frequently literally on camera from the opening shot on iirc.
My wife pulled the parachute after episode 6, I think sensing where this might be headed. I did find myself wondering who the film is for.
A simple cliche is "Marriage is hard. Divorce is harder." Or maybe I have that swapped around and Marriage is harder....it might depend on a lot of circumstances. Including financial ones, besides my emotional distance with Eisenberg's Toby, the fact that the various folks in marital distress here are all upper middle class I think kept me at a distance.
And well, I've got some breeder bias on the amount of sacrifice one signs up for when having kids. But I don't want to sound as smug and self-righteous as Toby frequently does. I know a situation can go from hard to impossible....and I've never been abandoned by parents, lovers, "friends" and Dr. Goldberg to have a sinister substitute obstetrician show up instead.
Personally I was tempted to abandon the film and as a Toby proxy, go off with Mozhan Marno's "Nahid" character and see if both she and I/Toby would transition out of our kept lives into something more sustaining. Not an option here, but it was one moment when Toby actually listened to someone else (after that someone else had provided comfort to him first of course). And her tale was fascinating to me and perhaps Tucker Carlson fans.
Bottom line I'm just not sure what the target audience is for this? I hung around for the Caplan/Danes acting... I did like some of the Jewish insight, the kibbutz curse and there's a pretty wonderful and unique bat mitzvah.
PS Also I am struggling with these 600 word minimums IMDB, sheesh. I peck away at a paragraph or two, but then get sucked into too much spewing (sorry if you are reading to the dregs here, I'm trying). Is the 600 limit just to help train Amazon's version of chat-gpt? It can't all be about bored of the rings, can it?
Hmmmm, bored of the wedding rings could have been an optional title for this review, but I'm sticking with My So-Called Wife. It feels like getting the best out of this film comes with whatever empathy might come from that. -
JLine183415 December 2022After a clunky first episode (I'd give it a 6/10), the thing that keeps impressing me about this series is that it presents everything both subjectively but fairly. Characters that were introduced as one dimensional, eventually get their due. Some of them are very unlikable, they are all flawed as hell, but that's what makes this series worthwhile. Its not a bunch of paragons you can't relate to. We are all flawed people, and letting yourself root for them despite that provides a self-reflective catharsis.
Jesse Eisenberg turns in a good, but not boundary stretching performance. Claire Danes provides a sympathetic villain. And the writing is very good, but IMHO doesn't quite get men right (but it's very close). -
eppies23 March 2023This show wanted to be so many things that it ended up being about nothing. It could have been a deep dive into the experience of living and loving in your middle age, recovering from a decade-long unhappy marriage, and coming to terms with the clash of multiple identities (heartbroken adult, devoted parent, hardworking professional, etc).
This show ended up being so superficial, forcing us to watch the lives of rich elites who live in an ethnically insular bubble in new york and complain about the most predictable first-world problems. Rachel's backstory felt like it was hastily constructed-- her character was the most intriguing... and after countless flashbacks painting her as the stone-cold frigid binj, i was looking forward to hearing her side of the story.
Her character is so one-dimensional and unlikeable that it solidifies how one-dimensional and unlikeable literally everyone on screen is. Everything felt underwhelming and forced. -
christopher_roth29 December 2022The show focuses almost entirely on Dr. Fleishman, a Jew from NY whose wife divorces him and disappears suddenly. The show follows him around during his recovery process where he reconnects with old friends, and gets back into the dating world.
The show is completely ruined by a narration style that explains everything that's happening in excruciating detail. This kind of thing can be useful if the show is hard to follow, but in this case it turns a plot that's already a little slow into a complete slog.
Although, it was a bit difficult to get through, I ultimately felt like the show told a compelling story that was worth a watch. -
So far, Fleishman Is In Trouble is a good show.
For me, the characters and situations are likable. Jesse Eisenberg was good casting as he fits the witty character who can deliver funny lines but also play serious drama to a degree.
At times it feels like a stage play with terse dialogue and at others, it can give you monologues and deep thought for which TV and film are known for.
One gripe I have is that the narrative can be confusing as to what is happening to whom whereas it started strong with clear points of view. This put me off during the second episode but am hoping that it turns around and fulfills the dramatic integrity of the show.
I wish the brief description was more inviting because the current two are not enticing at all. The concept should be clearly stated so any confusion can be avoided. Luckily, I went on despite my doubts and was rewarded with a fun time.
Watch this if you like drama and good comedy. -
movieoli-0892215 February 2023I can't understand how we got till the end of the last episode and no closure was ever given to Rachel!! I hated how the series ended for this troubled and deeply traumatised character! I thought that after the revelation of her side of the story, which altered everything even our viewing of Toby, something big was going to happen for her. Toby was the one who wasn't paying attention, Toby was the one who wasn't empathetic enough, Toby was the one who had to say sorry for playing a major part for her nervous break down. I really ached for her in the end. Her story never got the ending it deserved.
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aksuahmet-5527618 March 2023Ah, what an awful show. I really didn't understand the rating of the show and the user reviews calling this show "outstanding", "masterpiece" etc. Cannot stop thinking where tv series came, really. We were watching The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, House MD and now we're here "praising" a boring show. We cannot stop watching "Toby" who is a selfish guy, always talking about what happens to him, talking "me, me, me" and b**ching all the time. There's no depth in characters even for the main character. You should only watch this show to see Adam Brody or Josh Radnor if you missed or like them but they only have one hour screen time maybe in total series.
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annlevtex10 January 2023My husband and I related to this show more than anything we have watched on TV since I can remember. We don't live in New York, or LA, or even Chicago, Atlanta, or Miami. We've raised our kids more than a thousand miles from both coasts, in a city most New Yorkers probably avoid and dread even visiting. But we still related to it.
Lizzy Caplan is the standout, IMO, as narrator Libby, a magazine writer turned housewife who searches her soul and reignites her creative mind when she gets a call from her old bestie, Jesse Eisenberg, after his divorce. She is an amazingly versatile actress. Her performance is stellar and held me almost rapt toward the end. She absolutely deserves nominations for this role.
Eisenberg is definitely Woody-Allen-ish, as others have said, as the recently divorced Toby, a liver doctor with a reverence for his chosen specialty (and organ) and a disdain for what he perceives as his ex wife's mercenary and conformist nature. He's good in the role, but not quite as good as either Danes or Caplan.
Clare Danes is well cast as Rachel, Toby's damaged and driven ex wife. She does trauma, crying spells and nervous breakdown as well as or better than any actress out there today. I mean that in a good way. It is hard to sympathize with Rachel at first but we certainly do (or at least I did) when we see what she has experienced.
Rachel's experience, and Libby's, reflect that of the well-educated, career-minded woman who also happens to be a wife and mother better than any show I have watched in recent memory . I'm a little older than they are, but these Older Milllenials (they are in their early to mid 40s) who are trying (or maybe not) to "have it all" just resonated with me so much. Not because I am just like them, but because they are authentic, complicated, infuriating and lovable at once.
Adam Brody is delightful as the confirmed bachelor BFF, the third wheel in the trio with Toby and Libby. Josh Radner is solid as Libby's stalwart husband. The child actors do a good job with their roles. I did find the storyline with Toby's daughter's Bat Mitzvah a little frustrating and hard to buy, but that's a minor quibble.
This isn't a light observational comedy as it seems like it might be when it starts. But it's something much better than that. While it does go to some dark places, including the Lincoln Tunnel, it is ultimately life-affirming. It's also genuinely funny in a smart way. I laughed out loud at a few moments and quietly at many others.
Shout-out to Christian Slater Libby's erstwhile idol, the writer of the book that gave me my biggest laugh!
Excellent show.